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BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad put on a show of confidence yesterday, releasing photos
of a visit to a war-scarred suburb of Damascus and praising his troops’ recent battlefield gains.
Meanwhile, a massive explosion in the central city of Homs offered a reminder of the rebels’
ability to strike back.

In footage and images released by state media, Assad looked relaxed in a suit and open-collared
shirt as he visited soldiers in the suburb, Daraya, during a rare public appearance outside the
capital to mark Syria’s armed-forces day. Talking to the troops there, he commended the army for
its progress against opposition forces in central and southern Syria.

The cracks in Assad’s control of the country were underscored, however, by a blast that struck a
government-controlled area of Homs, sending a huge fireball into the air and killing at least 40
people, according to opposition groups. Some of the groups said that tally included only soldiers,
with scores more dead. Activists also said that footage and images of Assad’s visit to Daraya,
which the government claims it captured this year, were taken on its outskirts, and the area
remains contested.

After nearly 21/2 years, the conflict in Syria has claimed more than 100,000 lives, according to
the United Nations, and devastated the country’s economy. In a statement released yesterday to
coincide with the 68th anniversary of the creation of the armed forces, Assad described it as the “
most-barbaric war” in modern history and touted his troops’ ability to prevent the government’s
ouster far longer than many in the international community had expected.

“You have stunned the whole world with your steadfastness and your ability to face challenges
and score achievements,” he said.

The location Assad chose to visit was symbolic. Once a bastion of the revolution, Daraya was the
site of an alleged massacre by Assad’s forces last year. Hundreds of bodies — some showing signs of
summary execution, according to the United Nations — were found after government troops
advanced.

Yesterday’s explosion in Homs occurred at a weapons depot in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood,
known for its staunch support of the government, activists said.